


Words Are Important Too

by sanctum_c



Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Canon Compliant, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Flashbacks, Masturbation, Memories, Oral Sex, Sex, Sexual Content, Smut, highwind scene, mentions of Zack/Aerith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-13
Updated: 2015-12-13
Packaged: 2018-05-06 12:40:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5417417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Tifa stepped closer, reaching out to cup his cheek. "Cloud," she said. "I want to be with you... I want to stay with you... t-tonight." Her nerves almost failed and she desperately fought the impulse to get out of this situation. At least said what she wanted to. Another puzzled look and then his eyes widened. Ah.</i>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>A version of the High Action Highwind scene from <i>Final Fantasy VII</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Words Are Important Too

"Cloud..." Tifa worried her lower lip with her teeth for a moment. There was no reason to hold back, not now. Not with what surely awaited them tomorrow. But still; she had never been the one to make the first move like this. Always the seduced, never the seducer. Her cheeks grew hotter just thinking about it, her fingers twitched nervously at her sides. "Words aren't the only thing that tell people what you're thinking..." She clenched her fists and turned back to Cloud. He looked puzzled. Butterflies in her stomach. It did not seem anything close to strong enough to just tell him her feelings. Words alone could not make clear how much she cared for him, how grateful she was for his fulfilling their promise. How glad she was for his presence here in this moment. She stepped closer, reaching out to cup his cheek. "Cloud," she said. "I want to be with you... I want to stay with you... t-tonight." Her nerves almost failed and she desperately fought the impulse to get out of this situation. At least said what she wanted to. Another puzzled look and then his eyes widened. Ah.

"T-Tifa?" he stammered.

"We might not get another chance," she murmured as she stepped closer.

He opened his mouth to reply, stopped and glanced away from her. "Yeah." He nodded after a pause.

"I mean, only if you want to?" Tifa asked - a hundred obstacles suddenly forming out of nowhere and now she half hoped he would say no. She wanted to and yet, the thought of pushing forward, continuing the seduction was not as comfortable. No. She could do this. He had had a crush on her for so long. Cloud joined SOLDIER because of her. He came to her rescue in the reactor. But how did she feel about him? No. Too complex, too big. Something to worry about if they survived, something for the aftermath. She liked him, had become attracted to him - that much she could be certain of. But did he still like her? Was he even interested in sex? Sure, Aeris had teased him on the dock in Costa del Sol and gotten a reaction from him, but... 

Tifa tried to stem the tide of worries, problems, possibilities, the unpleasant details of Cloud's recent life. Cloud Strife in Hojo's clutches age sixteen. An emaciated, yet astonishingly strong Cloud Strife dragged from Nibelheim by Zack Fair, age twenty-one. She blinked. No wonder nothing had happened with Aeris. She must have thought Cloud was a year younger than her. Well, he was - physically. But he had none of her experiences; those lost five years were a void in his life - full of pain and none of the assumptions his claims of a mercenary life conjured up. There was even a chance Cloud had never even kissed before. Was she somehow the more experienced partner here?

"I do," Cloud said, lifting his head to meet her gaze.

Tifa smiled. "I'm glad to hear it." She leant forward to meet his lips. 

_Nibelheim; six years ago. Her first kiss. Both of them nervous, both of them excited. Hiding up the mountain trail in a secluded hollow and virtually invisible from the path. Tifa had spotted the spot while hiking up the mountain a few weeks before. Before things with Dav had developed. Lips mashed against lips, tongues thrust into each other's mouths. Neither of them seemed quite sure of what they were doing. Tifa remained faintly aware of how it looked and should feel; from books, from films, from television. 'Tongues fighting for dominance' - the phrase flashing through her head as they kissed. Romance was a battle._

_They broke away panting after the first kiss, both grinning. A new step forward for them both. Secretly Tifa had misgivings. The thrill of intimacy and physical contact had been fine, but the kiss itself was nothing like how various media presented it. Maybe with practice it would be better? The opportunity never came. Dav left the very next week. Just like all the others; bound for Midgar. And she stayed here. Tifa growled at him as he waved goodbye and then she stomped in the other direction: all the way across Mount Nibel to Rocket Town. He was boasting to everyone who would listen; Tifa Lockhart had kissed him._

Not thinking about that now. Even if Cloud was kissing just as inexpertly as Dav had back then. Tifa cupped his cheeks with her hands and guided his head. He resisted at first, but as her tongue flicked along his lips - a trick learned more recently - he quivered and slowly started to mimic her. Better. His breathing sped up against her cheek and hands. Cloud's own hands seemed to shake slightly as they came to rest on her waist. Good. He was getting the hang of things now. She shifted her lips slightly to murmur his name. "Cloud..."

"Tifa," he replied, his voice a little strained. She risked opening his eyes. Cloud's were still closed; Tifa glanced down. His body had reacted to the kiss. This was going okay. Unfortunately Cloud was still sat on the rock. This would going to ruin the moment a little, but they could not really just keep on going like this. Not only was sex against a rock likely to be uncomfortable-

_Midgar, two years ago. Dav between her, pressing her back against the wall. So strange to meet him again here, find him older, mature, apologetic for his crass past behavior. More attractive than he had been before. A first date. A second date. Third, fourth and now they were here in her apartment. No make smell here; the scent lost beneath traces of spices in the air and the incense Tifa burned in the early hours of the morning. The familiar traces of conversation and activity were audible from all around - muted by her door, the walls and the sensations Dav was eliciting. She gasped as he pressed hard against her again. Her vocal response to him embarassing, but the sensation made the increasingly faint worry of anyone hearing her evaporate; it felt too good. Too many clothes in the way though. Her first night with someone else. And while they would move to the bed, the notion of making love against the wall was a fantasy she maintained for slightly too long. Lying in bed was so much better._

-but there was a complete lack of privacy. Sleeping with Cloud out in the open like this was just a step too far. Her cheeks burned at the mere thought of the two of them both entwined on the grass and out in the open like that. Anyway, despite Cloud's faint pessimism that none of their companions to return, she remained half-optimistic they would come back. And if they did she certainly would rather not have Vinvent impassively announcing his return while she was straddling Cloud on this rock. Or the grass. Tifa resisted the grimace. Or Yuffie commenting on the situation in an extremely loud voice having arrived at precisely the wrong moment and not stopping the barrage of questions and comments she was sure to have. Locked door, soft surface to lie on - that was what they needed.

"Cloud?"

"Tifa," he moaned as she drew away.

"I think..." His eyes flew open and he glanced around, worried. "I think we should go somewhere... more private?"

"More private?" he asked looking confused. "There's no one else here."

"Well, yes," Tifa said, fidgeting slightly. His kisses while fumbling and unpracticed had at least had an effect on her body. "But, just in case. And I kind of want to lie down for this." A new wave of embarrassment. Even after all the hints and how forward she had been she was now being that much more specific about their intentions and the escalation of their intimacy.

"You... want to fly the Highwind?" Cloud asked glancing back to the hovering craft.

"No," Tifa replied, shaking her head. "But I think we can make at least make ourselves cosy in there." She took his hand. "Come on."

* * *

The conference room was not ideal but it was one of the few internal spaces with doors. She almost suggested the chocobo stable until she remembered playing in the hay from childhood. And how uncomfortable straw could be against bare skin or if it caught at the wrong angle under a sleeve or hemline. Not to mention what the chocobos actually used it for. And the added risk of the creatures watching them as they shed their clothes and coupled. Tifa shivered - more proof if she had ever needed it that she was assuredly not an exhibitionist.

_Nibelheim, five years ago. Undyne moved to the mountain town for a while, her parents only intending to stay for a few months. Tifa asked her about it as they explored the mountain together. She had so few girl friends even before most of her peers decided to go to Midgar, seeking fame and fortune in the capital. But no matter how long it had been, that fortune never seemed to trickle back home._

_Undyne had lived in Costa del Sol all her life. She was less than happy her family had left that behind to come here. Not mollified in the least that they intended to move onto Rocket Town soon after. Three months before Shinra arrived - before Cloud set foot in the town masked and avoiding her - and two months before the Undyne's family's situation changed and they left for Midgar, she and Tifa shared a succession of kisses in one of the barns. But only after Tifa carefully checked no one was likely to find them._

Cloud scrounged some thick blankets from a storage locker and spread them across the already thick, plush carpet of the conference room. At least they would not be lying nearly on the bare metal plates that made up most of the Highwind's decks. Tifa wedged a chair hard against the door handle and tugged to check it would hold. "It'll have to do," she said, making sure one of the spare blankets was close enough to spread over herself if someone did manage to get the door open. She unclipped her suspenders and dropped them to the floor. More nerves. No. She could do this. Tifa flopped onto the blankets on her stomach, took a deep breath and rolled over. Cloud looked down at her curiously and she reached out a hand to him. He took it after a pause and she pulled him onto her. 

Wait. She was seducing him right now. And yet he was on top of her. Surely she should...? Tifa repressed the shocked twitch as she imagined herself straddling Cloud, utterly exposed. She ducked her head away and pressed both her hands against his back. He was so warm. Cloud supported himself on his knees, his hips a mile away from hers, his hands braced on either side of her head. It took a few gentle tugs to get him close enough to even resume their kiss. Tifa wrapped her arms around his neck and Cloud's movements quickly began mimicking her own kisses from before. It felt so much better already, so much less awkward. 

Her fingers nervously played along the neckline of his shirt and gingerly dipped beneath his uniform to touch bare skin beneath. More. She wanted to feel more. Tifa slid her hands down his body, her fingers tracing across his skin as they pushed under his shirt and stroked across his back. Cloud shivered and made a faint noise in his throat. That had almost been a moan. Oh. She had done that to him, she had made him make that noise. Dav had never moaned when she touched him or even at the moment of climax. He had grunted and spoken of pleasure afterwards, but not once had he reacted anything like Cloud had.

Cloud was still kneeling between her legs and still just kissing her. It felt good, but it was now clear that to go any further would require Tifa to encourage him. For a moment she entertained the thought of spending the rest of the night like this, simply kissing Cloud. It would be nice enough, a close, intimate final few hours. But it would not - could not - mean the same thing. She still needed to take charge of the situation. How best to do this? She needed him to touch her - or at least start touching her. Her chest; past experience was her partners would start caressing above her waist before working lower. Not breaking the kiss, Tifa withdrew one of her hands from Cloud's shirt and felt along his arm. Awkward, fumbling, but she found his hand at last. Lot of effort to get it away from the floor amidst some concerned noises on his part. 

Cloud balanced on one hand and his knees - his hips still hovering above hers. With one last momentary worry, she brought his hand down onto her left breast. He started against her lips, his fingers convulsing, squeezing, seemingly intrigued by this new sensation. Good, that felt more like the start of love making. It felt nice, or at least as good as it ever did while she was still wearing her bra. She let out a faint moan into Cloud's mouth, hoping he would take the hint, relishing that there was no one besides him to hear her here. No one who might overhear her. Not that she was likely to get that loud - not from this. It remained a little vexing that she never seemed to enjoy this kind of contact as much as women in most fictions seemed to. Too much focus on her breasts and not enough on her nipples. She preferred attention elsewhere anyway. But then; no one had ever touched her directly... Cloud's hand rested against her breast - on top of her tank-top and bra - as he gently kneaded her chest. 

_The kiss - when it came - was supposedly simple curiosity but the touch of her lips took Tifa's breath away. Undyne was nothing like Dav. At first it was an idle way to pass the time during slow afternoons, but as time went on they headed for their secret place more and more frequently, starting earlier and earlier._

Cloud seemed to get complacent fast. Her body clearly excited him, but he was resolutely failing or perhaps refusing to take any initiative with their coupling. This would be a little more awkward to advance - but again necessary. Tifa pulled back from him slightly. "Do you want me to take my bra off?" she breathed.

He nodded. "Y-yes. And should I..." Cloud gestured at himself. "Do you want me to take my shirt off?"

"Yes, please," Tifa said, trying not to smile too much at his unfamiliarity with the situation. Cloud sat up and with a flourish whipped his shirt over his head. She had tried and failed to not stare at him back in Costa del Sol. Even with so much weighing down on her then she had still stolen glances at him topless - hastily looking elsewhere if he ever caught her gaze. Concerns, worries, secrets she had to bear at the time and left no time for indulging fantasies. Things were different now; she felt so much lighter. Now she had more time, more privacy, more licence to stare at him. Cloud was still lithe, though looked vatly more healthy than when she found him in Midgar. A faint scar on his shoulder was the only thing that marred his body, the rest of hi skin was smooth and unblemished. 

Tifa blinked. Getting distracted and anticipating the touch of his skin when she could experience it directly in a moment. Her hands flicked up under her shirt and unhooked her bra. It was nothing special; just a regular white sports bra like most of her others. A sudden panic; should she have worn something fancier for him, for this moment? No. It was not as if she had intended for any of this when she got dressed this morning - and her clothing options were strictly limited by the recent succession of circumstances. Only after she pulled the bra from the sleeve of her tank top did Tifa realize she was still wearing her shirt. Just like always.

_Midgar, two years ago. "Sorry, but I can't take my shirt off," Tifa told the slightly confused Dav, shivering slightly at how close she had come to removing it. She dropped the expensive red bra selected for this very occasion to the floor. Tifa had chosen the lingerie with exacting care and it had been only a moment ago she realized Dav could never see her wearing it. How had she have forgotten so easily? To think only of wearing something so different to normal, so provocative and not remember what would be revealed alongside it. Had she she too many romance stories in late night films to remember the state of her own skin?_

_"Mind if I ask why?" he asked idly, his fingers toying with the hemline._

_"I do. Please... just... Let me keep it on," Tifa told him, worried. It was all she wearing now; the matching underwear somewhere on the floor along with her skirt._

_Dav shrugged, unconcerned by his nudity and obvious readiness. "Fair enough. Whatever floats your boat."_

_The attitude was a little off-putting, but his fingers and tongue soon made her forget his pointed exasperation at her request. He fixated on her breasts even though they remained covered and he seemed almost put out he could not actually see her chest, that she would only allow him to touch her through the shirt. But if she removed it... No. She did not want him to touch there. Or see what the Masamune had done to her or ask how it happened. It remained horribly possible the mere sight might deter him if he saw it. Her worries evaporated as Dav kissed her again and pressed against her. She gasped as he entered her, the pleasure enough to ensure she forget her worries for the moment._

_Dav never quite took the hint though. It was a month or two before he next brought up her shirt and how much better he thought things would be if she just took it off. Tifa refused him again. The fixation with removing it became - in the end - what ended them._

"Tifa?" Cloud asked. He had crept a little closer. "Are you okay?"

"Yes..." Tifa said, weighing up her options. "Do... do you want me to take my shirt off too?" she asked. Cloud would be the first person to see her naked.

"I thought people generally did?" Cloud said, blinking in confusion.

"They do. Normally," Tifa replied. She took a deep breath. No more lies; he had to know. She could do this. "I... I don't like to take it off when other people can see. Remember at Costa del Sol? Aeris had that bikini on and I... I was wearing that one piece?" It had been the least popular design in the store; the clerk confused as to why she would want a swimsuit that covered so much of her skin. She had glanced away under the clerk's gaze, the question hanging in the air. Through the store window she could see the beach and every other woman wearing something revealing. The strip had been a flustering experience; at least Aeris had been there. Aeris had taken one look at Tifa's faltering expression and smoothly intervened. Her friend neither asked her request nor even tried to look. She even suggested separate rooms to change in while they got ready for the beach.

Cloud looked confused for a second before hesitantly responding. "Yes...? I thought you just didn't like bikinis?"

"T-there is that," Tifa stuttered. People stared at her enough as it was. Even if Sephiroth had not marked her indelibly, she would rather stay covered; by comparison Aeris seemed to have had no qualms and in wearing a bikini. Tifa sighed. "But there's more to it. Do you remember the day you came to rescue me? In the Nibelheim reactor?"

"I could never forget that again... Oh!" Cloud's eyes widened, his expression now worried. "Oh, Tifa. I... I forgot. How... how could I forget that?" Cloud pulled away from her.

Tifa leant forward and held a hand out. "It's okay, Cloud. It's okay." She paused, Cloud had stopped moving. "I... I try not to think about it." Her other hand gripped the shirt tight between her breasts, right over the scar. "But... I don't like anyone seeing... it either," Tifa said awkwardly.

"Tifa," Cloud breathed. "Tifa I... I just want you to be comfortable. I don't mind if you want to keep your shirt on." He bit his lip. "I have to confess I'm new to all this too. I've never-" He broke off as she pulled her shirt over her head. She dropped the garment onto the rest of her clothes, making herself meet his gaze. Her hand trembled as she held it out to him. Cloud's eyes flicked to her chest for a moment and Tifa swallowed, nervous. Please. Please let this be okay. "Tifa, you're beautiful," he said as he took her hand. Relief, and she was unable to stop the smile as she heard his reply. The tension evaporated, being here with Cloud like this felt less awkward suddenly. She did not feel as shy now, did not want to hide away from him in the same way any longer. Tifa pulled him down on top of her as she lay back on the blanket. Cloud was still bracing himself on his elbows, still keeping his hips raised. But now he moved to put his warm hand on her breast without hesitation. Better. His hand cupped and kneaded as he kissed her and her hands slid across his back, urging him closer still. His hands slid away, curling beneath her shoulders as their chests pressed together. Oh. A completely new sensation. Chest to chest with her partner. It felt so good; Cloud was so warm.

Tifa slipped a few fingers beneath his waist band as they kissed. With a deep breath and another tug she finally managed to pull their hips together. Of course. He had absurdly wanted to avoid her feeling his arousal and how excited he was. Cloud was seemingly as shy as was. Cloud's cock pressed hard against her hip and she wriggled, centering him between her thighs so he pressed against her at just about the right point. Cloud pulled back and her heart skipped a beat as he looked down at her chest again. Should have kept her shirt on. The scar was too distracting, too ugly. Even Cloud was not comfortable with it; even after all they had been with, the astonishing intimacy of sharing a mental space. Even he did not quite understand; even after everything they had been through. She should put her shirt back on; try not to think about opening herself up so intimately. She needed that last physical barrier to be with someone like this; there seemed no way around it. Cloud's lips closed her her nipple and the moan was leaving her mouth before she realized she was voicing it. 

_Midgar, Sector Six, one year ago. Undyne - unexpectedly here, unexpectedly eager to resume what they had - never asked why she kept her shirt on, never pried into anything that made Tifa uncomfortable. An extraordinary capable lover. Her hands rubbing across her shirt, cupping, kneading gently and pinching, never straying underneath to go near the mottled flesh of the scar and never even trying after Tifa told her the shirt had to stay on. Her fingers and tongue left Tifa gasping as Undyne's lips found the sensitive skin of her neck._

That was good. So good, so intense. No one had done that before - not even Undyne. Cloud's tongue flicked roughly, his hand pawing at her other breast. She winced at the sharp movements. "Cloud? Little too rough." He glanced up, closed his eyes and resumed, the motion of both hand and tongue softening. Better. His tongue circled her nipple with lazy, unfocused motion, a rote, almost perfunctory movement. It felt good enough, but it could be so much better. Tifa ran a hand through his hair pulling him a little closer. Fine for someone new at this like Cloud. He switched between her nipples, the sensation making her back arch for a moment. She fumbled with his fly, her arms stretched almost as far as they could reach. Cloud knelt up and tensed as she got his pants open.

A wave of warmth flowed over her hands. Tifa stroked a finger across his grey, checked boxer shorts, feeling him hot and hard underneath. He drew in a hissing breath at the movement. She smiled, stroking her finger back up him to the waistband of his underwear and slipped her hand inside.

_Midgar, two years ago. Half-naked, sprawled on her back and panting, Tifa looked lazily up at Dav as he took his hand from between her legs. "That was..." Tifa smiled and muffled the groan of pleasure at the recent memory as she looked away. "...how about you, though?" she asked, her gaze shyly drawn to the underwear he was still wearing. "Do... can I... Would you like... me... to touch you?" she asked, nervously excited. He nodded, watching her as she peeled his underwear away and with cautious fingers began to stroke him._

Cloud's entire body went rigid as she took hold of his cock, stroking her hand up and down with nervous movements. So hot. So hard. And in the same moment, nerve-wracking. It always felt such a huge step to touch like that. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire. He breathed heavily through his nose as her hand moved. Cloud remained on his knees, his hips clear of hers. His eyes closed and his lip was between his teeth. Tifa stroked a little faster, smiling to see him twitch. Seemed enough to prompt him to reciprocate again. His hand moved onto her thigh, squeezing and stroking in time to her hand's movements. Had to be gentle; it felt like Cloud might come any second. His hand moved higher, brushing the hemline of her skirt. Cloud dithered, his hand pausing until Tifa stroked him with three fast movements. Cloud groaned and slid higher under her skirt.

His eyes blinked open. "Shorts?" he asked in confusion.

_Midgar, two years ago. She was out shopping with Jessie in Sector Seven. "I like that," Tifa said, stopping to nod at an outfit on display in the shop window beside them. White tank top, short black skirt and suspenders. "Would be good for bar work," she said._

_Jessie considered it for a second. "Yeah, it suits you. Not sure if it's quite right though?"_

_Tifa blinked at her. "What do you mean?"_

_"Well, you know all that martial arts stuff right?" Tifa nodded. "Well, you kick in that and everyone is going to see your underwear," Jessie said glancing at the outfit again. "I don't know, maybe you don't mind, but I would. Maybe with some shorts..."_

_Tifa flushed. "Well, that's what I was going to do," she said smiling. "I wore something similar back home - I almost can't believe I did. I got worried about my kicks so I got some shorts to go underneath. But I didn't want it to ruin the look, so..."_

"Shorts," Tifa replied in confirmation. Her eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Oh, you never looked!" Cloud looked oddly sheepish. "I'm kind of impressed you resisted trying to take a quick peek."

"Yeah... Well. Not the first thing on my mind before..." Cloud murmured.

"Want to take them off?" Tifa asked, writhing a little. Cloud nodded vigorously. His hands strayed further up, a whisper of sensation on her upper thigh. He took elaborate care to hook his fingers under only her shorts and tugged them down. They rolled over her hips, over her thighs, bunching up as he pulled. A momentary sensation of the rougher texture of her skirt against her newly exposed bare skin. "Though thinking about it, should have taken my skirt off too..."

Tifa let go of him, his underwear no longer sitting quite right on his hips; low enough for the edge of his pubic hair to be visible. She glanced away and wriggled backwards on the blanket fiddling with the zip on her skirt. "Should I take mine off too?" Cloud asked, his hands nervously resting on his pants. Tifa nodded and he struggled to his feet to remove the last of his uniform. He eagerly dove back into her arms as she held them out to him. He was hot against so much of her body now, the heat of his cock much more palpable this close to her skin as she curled her legs around him. And yet, they were still wearing clothes. She was dragging things out - leaving this last little thing between them and complete nudity. Cloud's hand cupped between her legs and after a moment of indecision she spread them for him. He squeezed and rubbed with a vague rhythm, his arm twisted around awkwardly, the movement only causing the fabric to shift slickly against her lips. His fingers were nowhere near her clit.

"Let's get rid of these too," Tifa said quickly, her nerve holding for the moment, her hands stroking across Cloud's underwear. He nodded eagerly, his breathing speeding up once more. He tugged his underwear off, his cock bouncing with the movement while she wriggled on the blanket, rolling slightly onto her side to get her underwear over her hips. Faded grey from repeated washing and nearly the only ones she had left. The rest of her clothes were missing - left behind in inns and abandoned cities. In the North Crater as it collapsed, or perhaps part of their confiscated items in Junon. But now nothing remained between them. Tifa's first impulse was to pull the blanket over herself. No. Keep going.

Cloud leant forward, kissing her again, keeping his hips away from hers once more. His mouth moved down to her neck, sliding his tongue down onto the swell of her breast and then around her nipple. A few moments of that and he switched to her other breast and an identical motion. It was not quite right, not quite soft enough, not quite at the right rhythm. She opened her mouth to correct him, but then his tongue moved on. Cloud hunched down lower, wriggling his body backward. His tongue dragged across her stomach, an awkward hand inexpertly trying to mimic his tongue's movements on her chest and then lower. Now tongue and finger dragged across her stomach to converge between her legs. He had the right idea, had heard or read something of the effect he was aiming for, but it just was not working for her. Tifa raised her head, watching him, her eyes widening as he moved lower.

_Midgar, one year ago. Sector Six. Tifa's back arched as Undyne's tongue once again stroked across her clit with delicious teasing slowness. Her partner was coming to the end of a very personal demonstration of the various glyphs of the alphabet. Tifa barely had time to gasp before Undyne's lips closed around her clit and she began to gently suck on it. Tifa did not care in the slightest how loud she was being, how intense her moans were as Undyne's mouth moved against her, a finger deep inside her, pressing against her g-spot. The sensations were over-powering, almost too much, but Undyne never paused or gave her time to get used to them. Tifa came breathlessly, convulsing beneath her partner. Undyne barely paused, moving with her and continuing to stimulate her._

Cloud's tongue tried to burrow between her lips. He was missing her clit by miles, his tongue instead trying to penetrate deeper inside her. His breath ghosted across her, his eyes now tightly closed. Tifa watched him concentrate hard on his attempt. It was very clear Cloud did not know quite what he was doing. At least not specifically. Once or twice he managed to catch a sensitive spot, the movement making her coo appreciatively and her eyes slide shut for a second, but there was no way she was going to climax like this. "Cloud?" she called. He looked up at her. "Come back to me?" she asked, smiling down at him. He kissed up her body after a final misguided lick. Tifa could taste herself on him - memories of Undyne again. She pressed her lips against his neck and reached down to grab his cock. "Are you ready?" she whispered, tugging him a little closer. She swept her other hand down to check Cloud had not licked her too thoroughly. No; she was still wet.

"I... I think so," Cloud said. "I just need-"

Tifa squeezed him gently, amazed she was really entertaining the notion and prepared to go through with it. "Not now."

"But you might-"

"That's something to worry about if we survive tomorrow." Too dark a thought, but it tempered the butterflies that now filled her stomach. "Do you even have any...?" she asked trying to focus purely on the practical issues.

Cloud shook his head. "I thought there might be some on-board..."

Tifa smiled. They needed to do this while her nerve held. No worrying about the consequences today. Or tomorrow. If the sun rose the day after, then she would worry - and take steps. "I wouldn't have counted on finding any. And... I... I want to try it like this. And we'll deal with it later if anything does... happen. I... I never tried without before..."

Cloud flushed and nodded. "Okay."

Tifa raised her legs a little, tugging Cloud lower and lower. His face was a mask of concentration and he kept glancing down to her hand. This was new again; Dav had asked her to hold herself open while he took charge to guide himself inside her. Now she was trying to do both actions at once; Tifa spread her lips and encouraged Cloud to come closer - not where she thought he should be - impossible to see from this angle. A shock of heat as he made contact, and he twitched in her hand in the same moment, pressing just inside her lips. He was breathing very fast now. She pulled him closer still, shifting him down a little. Further. There. He pressed deliciously against her, so full of potential and ready to slide further inside her . Another gentle tug and his hips shifted closer, his cock slipping past her lips and fingers. She let go, and stroked his back feeling him resting there, just past the cusp. 

"There. Push Cloud," she whispered. He nodded, shivering as he pushed forward and his cock slid deeper inside her. Tifa exhaled, sighing in delight as they joined. Warmth. His warmth inside her. And so different; how could he feel so different? Dav had been perhaps larger than she was entirely comfortable with. Cloud on the other hand felt just right; exactly the right fit for her. Comfortable and perfect. Her back arched as Cloud's hips met her own. They had become connected, her feelings, his feelings express physically. So many tiny differences now - not only in Cloud's size but also the feel of his skin against her own, the knowledge that she was making love to Cloud Strife. She sighed happily again.

There was no whispering rustle of a condom - it had always been faintly distracting, a little thing pulling her out of the moment. Not this time. Just the sensation of Cloud inside her, filling her. Her muscles closed around him, and he was smooth and hard and warm inside her. "Oh- j-just... just give me a second," she said quickly, her voice unsteady as he started to withdraw. Cloud nodded, holding still as she closed her eyes and waited for her body to completely adjust to him. Perhaps she had been too hasty with her estimation of Cloud's girth. Perhaps not; even though it had been a while, the moment was already passed and he felt... perfect. "Okay - you can keep going."

He did not appear to need prompting now. As inexperienced as he was in the specifics of intimacy, this part of love making seemed obvious to him. Cloud drew himself back and pushed forward again. His hands were either side of her head again and she curled hers around his neck. He thrust again and she moaned encouragement, her chest bouncing a little with the motion. Another thrust and she raised her hips to meet his. She chanced a look. Cloud had his eyes tight shut and was breathing heavily. Was he okay? Another thrust and he came to a halt, seeming to swell within her. Tifa opened her mouth to speak as an unexpected gooey heat blossomed deep inside her. She frowned, trying to puzzle out the cause. Had something-

"Sorry Tifa," Cloud was quivering, his face distraught. "I... I couldn't hang on," he added almost in a whisper, hanging his head. Oh. Oh. She flushed and he trembled again. She blinked up at him unable to think of what to say. Every possibility sounded so crass, so crude in her head. He pulled away from her and out of her; the feeling of completeness going with him. She wanted it back. He glanced around, seemingly unsure if he should go for his clothes or just sit there. Cloud hunched away from Tifa and shivered again. "Sorry," he breathed.

Tifa struggled upright, huddling over to hide herself, even though Cloud was looking away. She moved cautiously closer."It's... it's okay," she said.

"No." Cloud shook his head. "That... It was too quick. I mean, did you get anything out of that?"

"Yes," Tifa said. Cloud glanced over his shoulder at her and she smiled at him. His first time; he needed assurance.

"Really?"

"Yes," Tifa said. "Cloud... We're... I'm trying to be as open and honest with you as I can. I think I owe you that. So... please, just listen to what I'm going to say."

"Okay," he said in a quiet voice, shifting a little.

Tifa took a deep breath, pushing the desire to just give up and say nothing down deep inside her. "I... It's been a long while since I've done this," Tifa began. "And I'd almost forgotten what it was like just to be with someone, to make love. I... I've only done... this a few times. But, I'm not going to pretend this was the best." Cloud winced. "But..." Tifa continued, shivering as her nerves threatened to fail her. "But, but but..." She reached out carefully to touch his shoulder. At least he did not flinch away from her. "That doesn't matter. I don't want to compare you to anyone else. I don't care if you're good or bad in bed. What matters is that you're here with me now."

Cloud squirmed a little. "But I..."

"Are inexperienced, I know." Tifa smiled as warmly as she could, refusing to comment on the specifics of the situation. "So was I was the first time. This... this was your first time wasn't it?" Cloud nodded.

"I thought... I had, but..." He shook his head. "Zack's stories I guess. I can't picture any of them..." He frowned. "Did he not... Or just never tell me? He never mentioned.... her?" Cloud muttered and frowned. Tifa was about to ask who he was talking about when the answer suddenly seemed so obvious. Cloud had never been under the illusion he had slept with Aeris.

"But it still doesn't matter," Tifa said gently, pushing the thoughts of just what Zack had been telling Cloud away. "We came here like this because we wanted to. I wanted to be with you Cloud. I wanted show you how much I trust you, how much I wanted to be with you. Just in case I never get another chance. So I... I hope you understood my feelings..."

"I... I did. I think so anyway. And I'm... I'm glad we did... this." Cloud offered her a weak smile. "But... please. Please let me make it up to you."

"It's not just me who needs that I think," Tifa said, her gaze drifting to between his legs, the sight making her jump and she looked away. "I doubt that felt the absolute best to you either, right?"

Cloud shook his head again. "Too quick."

"Well. We could wait for a bit..." Tifa glanced around the confines of the conference room. A long wait and nothing except conversation with a focus on not talking about trying again when he felt ready. How could they just sit here and talk naked. They could get dressed. And then take all their clothes off again when Cloud was... recovered. "Or..." She shuffled closer, her breasts pressing against his back, her chin on his shoulder. "Or we could cuddle?"

"Maybe... If you want, I mean." Cloud swallowed. "C-could... could you give me some... pointers?" he asked.

"Pointers?" Tifa frowned.

"How to please you?" Cloud turned to meet her gaze.

The idea was strangely thrilling and yet at the same time - to actually demonstrate something like that to someone... "If you'd be... interested in that kind of thing?" Tifa said. This was new.

"Please..." Cloud said, almost pleading.

"Okay." Was her face ever not going to feel like it was on fire? She lay down on her back, Cloud lying beside her. She gently tugged his arm up so she could lay her head on it and pressed into his side. 

"Where should I start?" Cloud asked. Where had Dav started? Her breasts, though always with a touch of reticence since her shirt was in the way.

"I'd like you to touch me... here," she said, her fingers trailing across her breast, unable to just ask him in so many words. Cloud rolled slightly towards her, his hand cupping her breast and squeezing. "Not so hard!" she said quickly. Cloud whipped his arm away in a panic. "Calm, Cloud. Please... Like that but gentle. Firm, but gentle - like you did before. Squeeze too hard and you'll hurt me."

"Okay," Cloud said, his hand returning to caress her.

"That's nice," Tifa murmured as Cloud touched her breast with his right hand. "A little bit... Oh!" she gasped and hummed with satisfaction as he pressed slightly harder. "Now very gently pinch... Yes." She shut her eyes as his fingers closed around her nipple. "Little harder," she murmured. She hummed with pleasure. This was so different and yet so good; directing someone to touch in the precise places where she wanted touching in the moment she most wanted it. Maybe words were important too.

Cloud leaned closer to kiss her lips. Tifa raised her hand and stroked along the hollow of her shoulder. "Kiss here... please?" Cloud pressed his lips where she indicated. "And here?" she tapped onto her neck, shivering as his lips made contact. "And here-" she fingered her ear lobe - neither Undyne nor Dav had ever tried that. Cloud caught it between his lips and she cooed. 

"This okay?" Cloud murmured his voice loud beside her ear.

"Definitely," Tifa replied. Her hand stroked across her neck and Cloud followed with his lips. This she could not bear to express in words; only demonstrate where she wanted him to go. Her hand moved down onto her shoulder and lower onto her chest. Cloud bent his head to her breast and she squirmed. Her fingers stroked further, circling her nipple. "And your tongue," she said through now parched lips. "Yes..." she said as he did so. "Closer to... Yes," she murmured. "Keep circling... And..." she tried to catch her breath. "If you could just use your lips..." She dragged the 's' out into a hiss as Cloud's lips closed around her nipple. Tifa groaned in pleasure. "Don't leave the other one out..." she said as she opened her eyes to watch him. 

Cloud lent across her, his recovering cock pressing slickly into her side. "Normally," she said, her voice catching as his lips moved against and around her nipple. "Normally," she stressed, trying to gather her thoughts. "You'd want to do that for a lot longer to get me ready. But... I was plenty wet before, so..." He glanced up at her and she stroked her hand down below her breast. Cloud kissed where she lingered. He was a fast learner. Her fingers stroked a little lower, his kisses little pulses of sensation against her skin. "Now...with just your finger..."

Cloud exhaled, his breath wafting warmly across her stomach as her fingers trailed ever lower and between her legs, his a moment behind. She had only ever done this in private; in her bed, in a bathroom, once at the inn in Kalm when she was certain Aeris was asleep. To just touch herself in front of Cloud like this... "Here?" he asked as she withdrew her hand from her very slick self. Cloud's finger pushed between her lips and slid roughly inside her. Tifa let out a gasp at the abrupt feel of something inside her again. 

"Bit too forward with that idea..." Tifa said hastily.

"Sorry," Cloud replied, trying to remove his finger.

"No." Tifa grabbed his hand and held it in place. "Just... try a bit higher..." She guided his hand upwards, Cloud relaxing his wrist and just letting her move his hand until it brushed against her clit. The sensation rushed through her like a spark of electricity and she groaned. "There..." she said. "Touch me there." Cloud's finger brushed backwards and forwards, just to the side. "Left a little... no right... there!" Tifa moaned as the pad of his finger rested right over her. "Okay..." she said, her breathing speeding up as the pulses of pleasure emanated out from her clit. "Just rub... gently!" she said urgently as Cloud's finger twitched. "Just gently, steadily..." Cloud nodded against her shoulder and rubbed. That was good. How long had it been since she had even had a chance to do this for herself? "Bit more pressure," Tifa murmured and sucked in a deep breath as he complied.

"Still okay?" Cloud asked, his cock hardening further against her side.

"Yes," Tifa said in a trembling voice. "Just... keep... doing... that," she said, her right hand delving between their bodies to grasp his cock. Her hand ghosted along his length before gripping him loosely. "Yes... Yes....!" Cloud stopped, seemingly startled as her back arched. "Keep going!" she said urgently - unable to let him leave her on the crest of climax and risk of undoing all the pleasure his touches had provoked. She gasped as he resumed rubbing, the coiled feeling winding up fast; she was about ready to break. "Faster," she gasped as she widened her legs a little, pushing herself forward and towards his hand. Nearly, nearly. Her back arched as her body strained and suddenly; snap. She gasped and cried out as she came.

Tifa blinked a moment later as she sucked in another breath, her legs clamped tight together, Cloud's hand held in place between them. She let out the breath in a shuddering rush, moaning as she did so, wriggling into Cloud. Her hands moved to her breasts, clutching and kneading. Cloud's warm hand grasped her breast and she let her own flop to the blanket. She blinked her eyes open and she shrank back under the curious look of her partner. "It was... good." She smiled. "Oh, Cloud that was really good..." She hummed to herself as he kept touching her. "I... I think I needed that."

"You liked?" Cloud asked, nervous and now very hard against her.

"I did," Tifa said, wriggling against him again, her body relaxing, tension and worries seeming to melt away. "Now, how about you? Ready to try again?"

"I can try..." Cloud murmured. With faltering movements he crawled over her, kneeling between her legs once more. "You want me to...?" he asked.

"Yes. Just... please be careful. I'm very sensitive at the moment." She lifted her legs higher to hook around his waist and took hold of his cock. Cloud shuffled closer as she tugged and spread her lips. She sighed as he slid into her without any kind of resistance, as he pressed deep inside her. He felt just right all over again. Perfect. Cloud's eyes closed and he seemed to be concentrating hard. "It's okay, Cloud," Tifa murmured, stroking her hand across his face. "You're here with me. That's all that matters. Remember that."

"Do you need me to wait?" he asked. Tifa shook her head and he shifted his hips in response, slipping back out of her and then pressing forward again. She made a pleased sound in the back of her throat, feeling her muscles tense around him, feeling filled once more. "Good?" he asked, his breath hitching.

"Yes," Tifa said nodding, her hands stroking across his back. "You can go faster. If you'd like..."

Cloud, settled for a moment. "Okay," he said in a quiet voice and increased his tempo, slipping in and out of her without any resistance. Tifa tightened her legs around his waist, pulling him a little closer.

"Oh, Cloud..." she moaned as he thrust forward. She let her head and arms fall back onto the blanket, relaxed and comfortable. Her eyes closed as he thrust into her and she focused on the sensation. Her chest shifted and bounced slightly with each of his movements, her fingers gripping and curling in the blanket beneath her. She could do this forever.

"Tifa," he gasped. She blinked and turned back to face him as he closed the gap between them. His chest pressed against her own, his skin sliding her nipples with every thrust. Cloud's hands were on her shoulders, curled beneath her arms; she wrapped her arms around his neck again. He seemed to be trying to minimise the intensity of his thrusts. Oh. "I... I don't know how long I can hang on," he said urgently.

"It's fine," Tifa smiled up at him again.

"What about-"

Tifa snaked her hand down her body, fingers brushing against his cock, against her lips and the point they met. Gingerly she stroked across her clit. Still sensitive, but not enough that she could not touch herself. "I'll be okay," she said, stroking herself, her back arching a little in response to the twinned sensations of Cloud's penetration and her own ministrations. "I'll keep doing this - like you did. You can keep thrusting." She winked, her lips curling into a smile. "Enjoy yourself, Cloud."

"And you are still...?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes, I am," Tifa replied in a breathy voice. "I'm glad we had this chance," she said, feeling the sparks of pleasure emanate through her as Cloud started moving his hips again.

"Me too," Cloud said, his breath becoming increasingly ragged. Tifa squeezed herself around him. "Oh!" Cloud groaned, his eyes widening.

"Like that?" Tifa asked. "I never tried that before..."

"I like..." Cloud hissed, his hips thrusting faster still. A twitch deep within her, a slight swell to his size and a momentary increase in his rigidity.  
"Mmm," Tifa said in reply. She squeezed again and Cloud shut his eyes.

"Too much. Can't hang on..." he said, his teeth gritted. Tifa sped up her own stroking - possibly a little too quick and a little too sensitive to have done this. But it might be beneficial now.

"It's okay Cloud. It's okay..." she said, grasping her breast with one hand.

"I'm... I'm going to..."

Tifa took a deep breath. Could she say it? "Come for me, Cloud," she said, almost regretting her words. It had the desired effect; Cloud's eyes widened and he thrust once, twice more. Then with a deep groan Cloud thrust forward hard a final time, his body pressed as closely against hers as he could. His cock swelled and there was another warm burst deep inside her. She frantically stroked herself, her hand almost pinned beneath his body. Almost, almost. Her back arched again. There. With a strangled gasp she came too, all her muscles tensing around his cock, sensation running down the backs of her legs and up her spine. Her back arched off the blanket and for a moment they were straining against each other, united in their orgasm. It could not last. Cloud relaxed first and Tifa soon afterward; she slumped back onto the blanket, Cloud still inside her, moving with her, supporting his weight on his hands. "Oh," Tifa breathed as they lay panting and glazed with sweat. Cloud's heart thudded in his chest right next to her own. He tried to move but she tightened her legs around him. "Stay..." she murmured, kissing his neck.

"That was..." Cloud began, and Tifa shushed him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his lips with slow languid motions, each kiss followed by tiny other touches as their pulses settled. She kissed his neck again and he took the hint, resting his head against her shoulder and seeking out her shoulder with his lips. Cloud's arms eventually trembled after a long moments of touching and kissing. She let him move this time and he slipped down beside her, cuddling against her. Tifa squirmed into his arms, her hand tracing across his cheek and through the blonde spikes of his hair. Cloud's lips sought her shoulder, her neck, her ear again, his arms around her waist, hugging her tight against him.

"What... time is it?" Tifa asked eventually, finally breaking the silence, finally ending the wonderful afterglow. Cloud fumbled for his phone and blinked blearily at the screen.

"Just after 9 pm," he said.

"Could we... Could we get up and watch for the sun? See one last sunrise?" It seemed almost a shame to let the stark reality of tomorrow intrude when everything felt good and she felt sated. But, it would be a shame to miss seeing that. Just one final time. Cloud looked serious, but nodded.

"Yeah. Let's... let's do that."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Nautilusopus on tumblr for some discussions of Tifa's possible past relationships, and thanks to Danseru for beta-reading this twice.


End file.
